story – movingpic

As I’ve mentioned some posts before I took a storyboarding workshop during summer break. In the first part, I shared an overall impression and experience and described what we did during that day. Also, I slightly mentioned about the homework. So, in this part im going to touch this particular subject more.

So, the week before the actual course, I got an email with a homework assignment and a deadline it must be emailed back to the instructor no later than two days before the class, so he could review it properly. Also, there was a time limit for the assignment- since this task is developed only as a warm-up, it should be done no more than about 45 minutes.

The assignment was given to choose a favourite film, and by using only nine storyboard panels (sound pretty easy!), I should be trying to tell the story of the film. The film could be in any media or genre as long as it is something favourite and it is a story that I know well.

I did not think long and chose the Robin Hood (1973) by Walt Disney studio. This film is one of my all-time favourites, and I really enjoy to watch it from time to time. This is a joyful adaptation of classic English folklore about adventures of anthropomorphic heroic outlaw Robin Hood as a fox and his sidekick Little John the bear who are inhabitants of an animal kingdom in Sherwood Forest.

In the beginning, I truly believed that it would be an easy task. Just nine panels and favourite cartoon what could be more straightforward. That’s how naive I was.

Firstly, I decided to watch the film and break it down into a list of significant events in the story and then draw the storyboard. And right in the middle of the viewing, I started to understand that it is no that simple as it looks. In the end, my list went way beyond nine panels- I wrote sixteen ‘crucial’ incidents which I thought must be in the storyboard. I really wanted to introduce almost half of the characters, and include robbery, taxes, tournaments and all battles and actions. Additionally, a Love Story between Robin Hood and Maid Marian (how even possible to not have this in the boards!)

This was when my challenge began. I had to find a way to reduce the list to nine panels. I read through all notes a couple of times and made the first version of the storyboard. As I still tried to incorporate everything and everyone into drawings, my panels did not look like a coherent narrative, but more like independent illustrations without any sequential progression.

Honestly, I felt stuck. How it is even possible to force an hour and a half storyline into reduced version in nine pictures? At this point, I decided to watch the animation again and made marks in my notes. At this moment, I started to realise that I can divide my list into three several story workflows. One will be about Robin as a hero, another one could be all around Prince John, and another could entirely be concentrated about love and Maid Marian. And instantly, I started to realise what if I will focus only on one main character, I will quickly reduce and resolve my assignment!

So, I decided to concentrate on the main story about Robin, who helped villagers and about his bravery. And here you can see the final result.

And on the day of the workshop, Sam Horton, our instructor, reviewed and commented on everyone’s works.

Altogether, I genuinely think that this is a fantastic exercise that helps think critically about our own story, additionally, build it more efficiently. Moreover, I believe that this kind of activity should be acquired for the Central Saint Martins MA Character Animation curriculum.

What if… there are two kiddos, a Sis and a lil’ Brother and a long rainy day in early spring.

In one window looked two. One saw the rain and mud. Other – green foliage ligature, spring and sky is blue. In one window looked two.

–Omar Khayyám

The story going to be based on this quote.

Well, basically, I will show how two kids see the same surrounding- their backyard.

But, additionally, I want to show their relationship- what in the end, actually, a person who is right here beside you, can help you to overcome bad moods and get over this dull day.

I’m not sure is it going to be narrated or not, but definitely without dialogues—just sounds.

Firstly, I’m going to show that it is a rainy day: moody, low, grey sky, rain.

(probably) the quote will appear, then disappears. The camera moves down; we see the chimney, then the rooftop, tree of the left. Lower; windows, now a fence. And we got into the middle of someone’s backyard—that tree on the left, of the fence, just a dark silhouette. We see a handmade tyre swing. There is a football goal on the right and a ball. Maybe some toys here and there. Everything is wet in the centre of all this a large rain puddle. Rains constantly.

Next scene- we see the house (like you turn around). Not the whole house, a lower part- great window, the fence now on the right, hides around the right corner of the house. A silhouette in the window draws our attention. It’s not very clear, but we can say that it is a person, probably a kid, under a dark-coloured blanket that covers him from head to toes. And we see him in a bad mood- eyebrows to touch each other and are really close to the nose. His small mouth in the shape of an arc sits right under his nose. Beside him on the right a kite. Might be it is coloured but for now everything in that greyish mood, so we can say what colours are there.

Next scene- we are in the room, on a distance from the window. Now we see him from the back. It is a kids room. A camera lowered, so room and window look huge, there is no light inside, so the interior is dimmed.

A dark silhouette, half of the body(might be legs only) appears in front, a bit left, of us. The figure runs toward the window. Now in the light of the window, we see a girl. The camera is closer to them. We can see them clearly. She carried a sketchbook and a pack or just a couple of pencils(or crayons). She puts it on the windowsill and starts climbing on. She accidentally touches her brother with her leg. The boy turns to head her way, angry and pushes her with hand. Not like with real power, but sort of slightly, to show that he doesn’t want her here, but more like simply ’why you are here?’. Turns his head back immediately and pull his kite closer to himself.

By the way, now we can see the difference between siblings. While brother is in a sullen mood and covered in a greyish/dark blanket and has a narrowed eyes, sisters eyes are big and bright, as well her sweater and sock are very colourful.

Then the girl settled down, grabs pencil and paper and look at the boy smiling (shows that she don’t care about push, even don’t want to pay attention to it, or already forgot about it). Extreme close up to boys face, he sighs deeply and looks out of the window.

Now the camera shows what he sees- close up on raindrops patter over tyre swing, then it shows that puddle in the middle and mud around.

The camera still outside showing both a bit from a distance, but we pay more attention to a happy girls face. She’s now overlooking the backyard. I want to show the same points but with the difference! Sister sees the same tyre swing, but her attention is on the tiny green leaves on the tree’s branch. Then she sees a couple of crocuses on the edge of the puddle. And all the sudden through the small rain ray of light touches the flowers (spring and the sky is blue).

Camera switches back to our characters (from the outside). The girl immediately starts sketching/doodling something in her block with enthusiasm. She then happy touches her brother with hand, he turns to head a bit furious, but she shows him her drawing. And now we see his face changes to smile(slowly), and then swiftly up to his legs throwing down blanket, full big smile over his face. He began to gesticulating, showing something to Sis. She follows him with happiness, immediately draws something on paper. She shows him, he sits beside her on knees and nods quickly, and they start laughing (we don’t hear that laugh).

Now we see changes in the boy. Not only a big smile, fully opened eyes but after he threw down his blanket, we see colourful sweatshirt and pants and socks.

Camera same position. It stops raining! Kids like freezes for a second, then shortly they off from the window, so we see only sketch block (some lines on the paper surface) and pencils (the boy took the kite). After a second, we hear laughing sounds and footsteps outside. We don’t see kids, just sounds. The camera slowly started going up, over the roof, the see clear blue sky. Sounds- laugh and bids are singing.

END

(if not at the beginning of the film show quote, so it will appears now)

Credits.

Category: story

Storyboarding workshop part 2

Graduation Film idea